ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · mug · root · lie · stem · deal · toast · land

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. land — a country
  3. toast — bread
  4. root — of a word
  5. land — ground
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mug — a cup
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — to come down
  19. mug — a face
  20. lie — to recline
  21. root — the cause
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com